Category: Issue 08

ALDERSHOT: The town’s magistrates have sent a London man for sentence at Crown Court for an alleged indecent assault, which they agree did not happen.

George, of London NW10, admitted “assaulting” a boy behind the Aldershot police station. He has spent 27 years of his life in jail for indecency offences.

During his jail terms George had been subjected to drug treatments to curb his sexual impulses, his solicitor told the magistrates.

George had been on parole since March and had been released from his latest ten-year jail sentence in July.

Mr John Cottrell, George’s solicitor, said that George, a driver for Kensington and Chelsea Council, admitted the offence, but it was “nothing more than an erotic fantasy”.

Since leaving prison, George had stopped taking the anti-sex drug.

Mr Cottrell said: “Compared with the previous offences, this matter before you is of a very minor nature. It’s not a serious offence taken by itself.

“Although the record is very heavy, George was cured by that drug after his last term of prison, and is anxious to resume treatment.”

Mr John Ellis, for the police, said that George drove up to three boys who were playing in a sandpit. He started talking to them and showed them his moped. He gave them rides on his moped.

Later the conversation turned to sex and George “assaulted” one of the boys. Then it began to rain. The boys ran for shelter and George drove off. The boys took George’s number and reported him to the police.

He said that George had five previous convictions, once for assaulting a girl and the others were matters concerning young boys.

After they had retired the magistrates said: “We agree nothing happened, but the intention was there.”

George, whose application for bail was refused, was sent to Winchester Crown Court for sentence.

‘The Gay vote’ is not a factor which politicians include in their calculations in this country. But, nonetheless, if gays constitute (at a conservative estimate) one in twenty of the population, then we could wield considerable influence to better our position, especially in local elections.

This lesson does not seem to have got across to gay politicos in this country – they seem to prefer negative actions to combat prejudice rather than positive ones such as this.

In Canada, the Gay Alliance Towards Equality (GATE) has been active at all the meetings, rallies and so on in the provincial elections in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a considerable degree of success.

On the 9th August, seven candidates appeared to answer questions in front of an audience of 100 people, including members of GATE. Maurice Flood, GATE’s chairman, asked them: “In view of the fact that leaflets listing gay demands have been given to all the candidates, where do the candidates stand on granting full civil liberties to homosexuals?” The Liberal, Conservative and New Democratic Party candidates all said that they supported equality, whilst the Social credit candidates said: “I support the family; whether you fit into that picture or not is up to you.”

Roedy Green, of GATE, challenged the Social Credit candidate’s claim that his party stood for the protection of minority rights by pointing out that they had not extended the Human Rights legislation to apply to gays.

However the Socred candidate was much more outspoken a fortnight later when faced with further questioning on the subject of gay rights. He said that people who belong to such movements are in a dangerous situation because “one day society will want to castrate the lot of you to stop you reproducing your kind.” He was greeted by prolonged jeering and booing from the audience.

He had been asked if he would end “the involuntary hospitalisation of gays (supposedly) for their own good.” The other candidates had said that they would.

All this has made candidates of all parties aware of the injustices in society towards homosexuals, and has had the whole issue extensively reported in the Vancouver papers. There’s a lesson in that somewhere.

LEEDS: The city is getting its first ‘adults only’ play in the shape of Mart Crowley’s ‘Boys in the Band’.

The play, which starts as a comedy and becomes tragic as it moves on through the lives of a group of homosexuals is being performed in Leeds by the city’s Cosmopolitan Players, who usually put on trivial farces and such diversions.

The Boys In The Band is the first time that an ‘adults-only’ restriction has been put on any play at the Civic Theatre, where the play is being staged this week, according to Mr Fred Mower, who’s been designing sets for the Civic for the last 20 years.

Mr Nigel Peacock, a member of the Cosmopolitan Players said he wasn’t worried that the restriction might reduce the group’s box-office take.

In fact, Mr Peacock, who has a part in the play, feels that the ‘adults-only’ restriction may attract audiences.

He said: “Certainly with films, an ‘adults-only’ billing seems to attract audiences, and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work with plays.

The Leeds production will not be pulling any punches. “It will all be there, as written,” Mr Peacock promised.

FULHAM: More than 350 gays, of all sexes, turned up for the latest in the Gay Liberation Front’s series of dances at Fulham Town Hall — and all was peace and love, instead of the queer-bashing of a few weeks ago.

There were no reports of disturbances either during or after the dance, although the town hall had been the scene of ugly violence some weeks back.

Maurice of Gay Lib’s London office said:

“It was just beautiful – just how we wanted it. There was no hustle at all. Everybody enjoyed themselves and the dance was open to everybody who wanted to come”.

Even if “straights” were allowed in, the majority of the crowd at the peaceful dance were gay. In the words of the Shepherds Bush Gazette – whose prose style will never be equalled – “Wearing all kinds of conventionally outrageous costumes, including long evening dresses and black fishnet body stockings, gay young men danced with one another to the accompaniment of records to suit all tastes.

“Many of the youngsters had travelled in their gay garb on the Underground, but the police said there had been no trouble.

“It seems these gatherings are having their desired effect of dispelling many of the inhibitions that gay people have.”

GATESHEAD: The town has lost its sex-adviser because he has been sent to prison for admitting having sex with six boys aged between 12 and 14.

Robin Robert Roe, who is a state-registered nurse, had been Gateshead’s health education organiser – or sex adviser, for short.

He was sent to prison for two years for the six charges of indecent assault on boys by Newcastle Crown Court, and Judge Myrella Cohen said: “A certain degree of moral guilt should lie on Gateshead Corporation for employing someone like you in a position of trust with these boys.

“It is a shattering reflection that someone like you, who in 1958 had a conviction for a very serious offence, should have found this particular type of employment.”

Councillor William Collins, chairman of Gateshead’s health committee was the man who headed the selection committee that chose Robin Roe as the town’s sex adviser. He said that Robin had been sacked after the court hearing. Councillor Collins was praised in court for the energy he showed in carrying out his duties.

All six sex offences were committed outside working hours.

Councillor Collins said:“I am horrified that this could have happened, but how could we have known? I don’t have a crystal ball.”

Twenty-four year old Roy Davis was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and fined £45, on charges of possessing drugs, importuning and keeping a brothel.

He and another man were living in a flat in Nevern Square, Earls Court, which the police observed for a period of time. Clients were obtained through ‘male model’ advertisements, and test phone calls to the number given elicited an offer of ‘very kinky services’. The police, however, were content with observation.

Davis was alleged to have been operating as a call-boy himself. He admitted importuning, and being in breach of a two-year probation period imposed last December for unauthorised possession of 64 dexedrine tablets.

The magistrate advised him to get a job of work and become a normal and decent citizen.

LONDON: The London Medical Group, a Christian-Medical group is running an open debate on Society’s Responsibility to the Homosexual on October 17. And among the speakers will be a high-ranking criminal psychiatrist.

The meeting’s chairman will be Dr Trounce, the sub-dean of Guy’s Hospital Medical School, who is a physician, Mr T. J. West, MD, DPM, of the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology, Mr Michael Hollings, author of Counselling the Homosexual, and Anthony Grey, of the Albany Trust.

The meeting will be open to the public at 5.45 at Guy’s Hospital Medical School.

DURHAM: The city now has a Gay Lib councillor. For Sam Green has won the Crossgate seat on the council for the Liberal Party. And throughout his election campaign he has made a point of telling people he belonged to GLF. And you can’t get more honest than that.

Sam’s gay honesty impressed the people of Durham so much he ousted the sitting councillor who had been there for 18 years.

Sam, who is a 31-year-old psychiatric nurse, has tried to get on the council twice before.

He told Gay News: “I have made a point of telling my friends at work and in the Liberal Party that I am gay, and have found no real opposition from them.

“So when I was contesting the local election in Durham I pointed out I was a member of the Gay Libs in the same way that other candidates point out that they are members of the Rotary Club or sit as school governors. The press followed with banner headlines ‘candidate is member of Gay organisation’ and my opponent travelled the ward telling everyone I was ‘one of those’, a puff, a nancy boy, and spent most of his time sounding off about the corruption of youth etc.

“The silent majority – the lot that is supposed to want homosexual oppression were not silent. The dear old ladies would come to their doors and say ‘I’ve been a Conservative all my life but I am voting for you. GET HIM OUT!!’

“I think people are not really interested in our private sex lives, but I do think my election result shows that if we present our case fairly and do not project our own failings and weaknesses onto others, we will win through. But we must keep faith in ourselves, queens, faggots, cottagers, CHE, Gay Libbers.

“The main tactic of all oppressors of demo-cratic traditions is to cloud the issues. We must not by our tactics give them a chance, but fight for democracy with a truly libertarian society with tolerance for all.”

It is more than a personal victory for Sam or just a victory for gays, he is also the Liberal’s first councillor in Durham in living memory.

It was Donald Matterson, aged 18, who was killed by an FBI agent at Kennedy airport, not ‘Salvatore Naturelle’ as originally printed. The FBI identified him after death through his fingerprints. There is no evidence to suggest that he is gay, unlike John Wojtowic.

Wojtowic is reported to have staged the hold-up to raise cash for a sex-change operation for Ernest Aarons, his lover, according to one of his hostages. Wojtowic had been in the care of a psychiatrist since January.

Aarons and Wojtowic had been married by a defrocked Roman Catholic priest last December, after having lived together for several months. Aarons wore a four hundred dollar wedding gown.

Two days before the hold-up attempt, Aarons attempted to commit suicide after the apparent end of their marriage during a quarrel. Wojtowic is said to have been ‘insanely jealous’. It is thought that this, coupled with Wojtowic’s problems about his own sexuality, led him to embark on this venture.

None of the hostages were hurt; all of the money was recovered. Wojtowic is now awaiting trial; bail has been set at $250,000.